A Twist Of Fate
by songbirdfanfix
Summary: At the beginning of first year, even before the trembling, nervous new students were sorted into their houses, Draco Malfoy offered Harry Potter his hand in friendship. What might've happened if Harry had decided to take it?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, and thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my silly story. This is my first fanfiction, so I have a lot to learn and am most definately open to constructive critisism, as long as it is that, and not just hate mail. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Please review when you're done!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All the characters, settings and the majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

Chapter One

Diagon alley was like nothing Harry had ever seen. It was magnificent. The shops were odd and whimsy, with strange displays in their windows, and impossible signs hanging outside their front doors. The people were even more so. Everywhere Harry looked there were interesting characters. Witches with color-changing hair, Wizards with the most interesting robes and Children toting a number of strange products, were just a few of the wonders that Harry saw.

Hagrid was escorting him from shop to shop with such a familiarity that suggested he had spent a great deal of time there.

Harry wondered what it would have been like to grow up in the wizarding world. Perhaps live in one of the vacant apartments that nestled above the shops. The thought filled him with longing for the life that had been stolen from him. He tried not to dwell on it for too long, and it wasn't hard considering all the incredible things there were to occupy his mind.

The next stop on their list, was a shop called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. It was a small little store, with a number of colorful robes, and interesting traveling cloaks hung up in the window.

Due to the fact that Madam Malkin's was so tiny, and Hagrid was so large, there was no way that he could possibly get in without breaking down the door, and then taking up far too much space inside. Hagrid decided to stay outside, in the wide open, while Harry went in to purchase his own school uniform.

Harry entered the shop with a twinge of nerves in his stomach. So far, Hagrid had done everything for him. This was the first place he was entering all on his own.

A squat witch, all in mauve, came up to him, with a smile on her face. "Ah, are you here for your Hogwarts robes, too? I was just fitting up Draco here."

Harry nodded. A boy around Harry's age, with slick, platinum blonde hair, was indeed being fit with a sleek black robe. Harry quite liked it. As he was admiring the details, the boy spoke to him.

"Hey, my eyes are up here." He said. The boy snickered, and seemed very proud of the joke he had made. Harry didn't get it.

"Hi, I'm Draco." The boy said, extending his hand. Harry took it, and they shook.

"I'm Harry." He said. "Harry Potter."

Draco laughed. It was a short bark of laughter, as though he was laughing at a particularly bad joke.

Harry stared at him, not sure how to react.

Draco gave Harry a thoughtful look.

"Are you really?" He asked. Harry nodded, keeping his mouth shut. He was slightly worried that if he spoke, he might accidentally make another bad joke.

Draco looked impressed. "Well," he said. "Maybe we'll get sorted into the same house. I'm going to be in Slytherin." Draco puffed up his chest as though he was very proud of himself.

At that moment Madam Malkin bustled in from the back of the shop with an armful of sewing supplies. "Sorry for the wait, dear." She said to Harry. Funny, he had been so absorbed in his conversation with Draco that he hadn't noticed her leave.

"Oh, look!" She said to Harry. "My special, blue pearl pins! You are one lucky customer indeed! These are practically priceless!" Harry didn't care much about being fitted with the priceless pins. They looked rather ordinary to him.

Madam Malkin finished up Draco's robes and sent him on his way. Just before he walked out the door, he turned to Harry and winked. He had one of Malkin's special pearl pins between his fingers.

Harry held in a snicker. Slytherin, he thought, sounded fun.

 **I hope you enjoyed. I will try to update as regularly as possible. Thanks for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! I did this chapter pretty fast so I apologize for spelling mistakes. Anyway, please review when you are done. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The characters, setting, and majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

Harry left the shop with his new robes to find that Hagrid had gotten him some ice cream from a place called Florean Fortescue's. It didn't quite taste like any ice cream Harry had ever had before. Just another of Diagon Alley's endless wonders.

Hagrid booked a room at the leaky cauldron for him and Harry to spend the night. Harry was overjoyed, as he had rarely ever slept anywhere besides his cupboard under the stairs, back at the Dursley's.

They got dinner on the house from Tom the bartender, who was still quite star-struck by Harry.

Harry decided that this was a good time to mention what Draco Malfoy had said. He had been wondering about it all day, but hadn't been sure about when to ask.

"Hagrid," Harry started, giving Hagrid time to chew and swallow his last bite. "What's Slytherin?"

Hagrid nodded knowingly. "Well, you see Harry. Hogwarts is divided into four groups, called houses. Each one has different, traits, or abilities. Before the school year starts, you get sorted into one of them, and they become like your family for the rest of your time at Hogwarts. The houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

So, Draco knew what the traits were that were associated with each house. He had just guessed which one would be his.

"So, what are the traits?" Harry already had his heart set on Slytherin. If he was sorted into it, he would at least have one friend already. He hoped he fit the description.

"Well, it'll be explained at the beginning of the year. But, I can do my best now."

He cleared his throat as though preparing for a speech. Harry leaned forward, eager for any scrap of information he could gain about the next seven years of his life might be like.

"Gryffindors are brave. They're usually very strong and act before they think." Harry didn't think this sounded much like him. He was scrawny and often had to think fast to get out of bad situations. He didn't have the luxury of being brash.

"Hufflepuffs are loyal. They're also very good finders. They're usually very kind and loving, but most people see them as being a bit soft."

Harry didn't think he was kind and loving. He was often very rude to Dudley. It was the best he could do when fighting back wasn't an option. He had never had a real family to show him that sort of love.

"Ravenclaws are smart. Very logical thinkers and what not. Good problem solvers."

Harry knew he wasn't stupid. But he wasn't particularly bright either. He doubted anyone would accept him in that sort of house.

"Slytherins are often considered the evil house. They're cunning and ambitious. They'll do whatever's necessary to get what they want."

A lump was forming in Harry's throat. None of the houses sounded like they were for him. Was it possible that he wouldn't get sorted? Or perhaps he would just get put in a random house, where no one would like him.

"What happens if you don't fit any of the houses?" Harry asked, slightly panicked.

Hagrid Laughed. "Everyone fits somewhere. You'll find your place, don't worry." He gave Harry a fatherly pat on the back.

"Finished up quickly, then we should get off to bed. Big day tomorrow!"

"Yeah." Harry said quietly. He didn't feel hungry anymore.

 **Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review. I will update ASAP.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, I'm on a crazy writing binge right now. Well, I hope you enjoy. Please review!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The characters, setting, and majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

The next morning was a rush, and Harry could hardly remember any of it afterwards. It seemed that one moment he was watching Hagrid hurriedly darting around their room at the Leaky Cauldron, collecting all of his and Harry's things into his pockets and Harry's suitcase respectively, and the next he was alone at King's Cross station, looking for platform nine and three quarters.

He was almost positive that such a platform didn't exist, until he stumbled across an out of place group of redheads. It consisted of four boys, two of which seemed to be identical twins, an older woman, and a small girl.

Harry watched from afar as one by one the first three boys disappeared into the wall between platforms nine and ten. Just before the fourth boy was about to begin running, Harry hurried over to the woman, presumably, their mother.

"Excuse me." He said politely. Being polite made him think of Hufflepuff. The lump threatened to return to his throat.

"Can you tell me-" Harry was interrupted by the overly helpful woman.

"How to get onto the platform?" She asked with a smile. "It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts, too."

Harry turned to the boy that had been about to run. He gave him a small smile. Ron smiled back, his ears beginning to turn pink.

"Here." The redheaded woman directed him so he was directly facing the wall in between platforms nine and ten.

"Just run straight at the wall. We'll meet you on the other side." Harry would've been skeptical, or perhaps not have followed the woman's instructions, if he hadn't just witnessed the three older boys do it first.

He ran at the wall, and straight through to the other side. He felt proud of the small feat. It was one of the first magical tasks he had accomplished on purpose.

Ron, his mother, and the little girl all came through behind Harry.

"Good job. Do you need some help with your trunk?"

Harry tried to refuse the offer, but the woman was already calling over the twins that Harry had seen earlier.

"Fred! George! Help this young man with his trunk!"

The two hurried over and did what their mother said. Harry followed along, and together they found an empty compartment to put his things in.

"All good?" One twin asked. Harry couldn't tell if it was Fred or George.

He nodded silently. The twins smiled at him, and hurried off.

Harry sighed. He was starting to feel overwhelmed. At least he could finally be alone.

All good things must come to an end, and for Harry, it was sooner than expected. Just as the train began to roll away from the platform, the door to his compartment slid open. The redhead boy that was around Harry's age stood awkwardly looking in.

"Do you mind? Everywhere else is full." Harry did mind, but, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to try and make another friend.

"Not at all."

As it turned out, Harry and Ron got along quite well. Ron was the first person that treated Harry like a he was a human, and not some sort of legend. Over the course of the ride, they bonded. Harry felt accepted by Ron, and hoped that they'd be in the same house.

When the ride finally came to a stop, Harry was reunited with Hagrid. He was glad to see him. Harry felt as though he was adjusting well.

They all clamored into rickety row boats, and began their ride across the lake. Harry shared a boat with Ron, as well as two other Familiar faces.

The ride across the lake was quiet and uneventful, save for a few raised eyebrow glances from Draco, directed at Ron. To these Harry gave him a quizzical look and shrugged. He didn't know what Draco's problem with Ron was. He had been hoping they could all be friends.

They arrived at the great hall a little bit wetter, and were ushered into a small room to have the sorting explained to them.

A tall, thin woman, with wire frame glasses and a pointed hat told them the same thing Hagrid had explained back at the Leaky Cauldron. There were four houses. Each one had different traits. They would be our family.

Most of the other first years looked nervous. Harry was glad, he didn't want to be the only one.

As the woman was finishing her speech, Draco walked over to Harry, with two larger boys in tow.

"Hello, Potter. Long time, no see." He smiled slyly.

Harry drew his eyebrows together in confusion. It had only been yesterday that they'd met at Madam Malkin's.

Draco threw an arm around Harry's shoulder, pushing Ron from his side.

"Look , Harry, I understand that you're not accustomed to wizarding society yet, so I'll help you out. There are some sorts if wizards that you don't want to go befriending."

He shot a glance at Ron who glared back.

"Come with me, and I'll teach you everything you need to know." He stretched out his hand.

Harry looked over at Ron, then back to Draco.

I'm sorry, he mouthed, as he took Draco's hand. He didn't see the daggers that Ron glared at him, as Draco pulled him away.

They were all ushered into a giant room with a number of candles floating around the seemingly non-existent ceiling. A loud girl was explaining how it was bewitched to look like the sky. Draco was quietly mocking her behind her back.

Four long tables were set up. Harry knew these must be the houses.

The sorting began with a girl named Hannah Abbot, who was sorted into Hufflepuff. All she had had to do was put a wrinkled, old hat on her head, and it shouted out the house they were for. Harry thought that sounded simple enough.

But, the closer to Harry's name that they got, the more nervous he felt. What if the sorting hat didn't say anything, and just sat on his head, completely silent?

Malfoy, Draco.

Draco left Harry's side and stepped up to the sorting hat. The hat hardly had to touch his head to yell out, Slytherin! Draco looked quite pleased.

Before Harry knew it, it was his turn to be sorted. He didn't feel ready, and was half considering simply running from the great hall to live out his life in the forest that surrounded the castle.

He gave in to reason and took the stand. He put the hat over his fringe of black hair. Immediately, it started to talk, almost as though it was whispering in his ear.

"Hmmm, yes, you have many qualities. A good mind, brave, hmmmm. Cunning, yes, ambitious. You will do great things."

Slytherin. Harry whispered in his mind. Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin.

"Alright then, better be, SLYTHERIN!"

 **Once again, I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to review and I will be updating as soon as I can :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**This one is a bit short, but I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Don't forget to review when you're done. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The characters, setting, and majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

The roar of applause came mostly from one side of the room. The Slytherins were cheering louder than they had for any of their new members yet, but the rest of the hall remained almost silent.

Harry couldn't help but grin as he took his seat beside Draco.

After the most wonderful meal Harry had ever had, the students were made to sing the school anthem before being escorted to their dormitories. None of the Slytherins sang, including Harry.

The Slytherin common room was a bit scary, specifically the first time Harry saw it. There was a number of green and black leather sofas, and dark wooden cabinets. The most interesting thing was, in Harry's mind, the windows at the far end of the room that were emitting an eerie greenish light. It bathed the entire common room, canceling out any other light sources there might have been. Gemma Farley, the prefect that had escorted them, had been explaining the common room and where everything was. Harry, unfortunately, had not been paying attention.

"Hey, Harry." Draco nudged him. "Wanna room with me?"

Harry looked around. The other first years were quickly getting into pairs, and lining up. Harry nodded at Draco, and they stood beside each other in line.

Gemma got the other prefects to direct each pair to their new room. The boys went down a hallway to the left, the girls, to the right.

Doors lined both sides of the hallway. Each had a small gold plaque on it, engraved with two names.

Some doors were locked, others stood slightly ajar.

Harry could glimpse other Slytherin boys going about their start of term activities in their rooms. Some were writing lists of things that needed to be done, others hung up posters beside their beds, one was dancing to a very loud song, with gibberish lyrics.

Harry and Draco were escorted to a door with a blank plaque. The prefect tapped it, and their names appeared.

Harry Potter

Draco Malfoy

"Your stuff's already inside." The prefect said, leaving them to their own devices.

Harry slowly walked around the room, admiring his surroundings.

There were two, four poster beds, each adorned with dark green sheets. Two desks, one on either side of another door, that led to the washroom.

The boys trunks were already sitting at the ends of their beds. Harry's on the right, Draco's on the left.

Sitting on top of each was their school uniforms, now adorned with green and silver patterns and trim.

Draco flopped onto his bed without bothering to undress, or even pull the covers over himself. He fell asleep almost instantly.

Harry took time to get into his pajamas and brush his teeth in their pearly white sink.

He finally crawled into his own bed, after what seemed like the longest day of his life, and fell asleep to the sound of distant waves, lapping across a sandy shore.

 **I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to review. I will post the next chapter as soon as I can :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**This is the last one for today. Thanks to all the people who are actually reading this. It means a lot to me. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The characters, setting and majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

Harry was awoken from his slumber by a pillow hitting him sharply across the head. Draco was already dressed in his school robes, and was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Up, up!" He yelled at Harry. "We're goanna miss breakfast!"

Harry clamored out of bed and got into his new Slytherin robes. He stopped when it came to the tie.

"Um, Draco?" He said sheepishly, holding out the long piece of fabric to the other boy.

Draco sighed, and helped Harry loop the tie around his neck, tying it into a fancy knot at the front.

"C'mon, Harry!" They raced down the hallways and into the great hall, where they slid into seats, panting for breath, just as a black-haired teacher with a crooked nose was handing out their timetables. Luckily, another teacher stopped the first, to talk in quick hushed tones, granting the boys a chance to catch their breath and pretend they hadn't slept in. The teacher that had stopped the first was wearing a purple turban, and had trembling hands. The black-haired teacher looked around quickly, and made eye-contact with Harry.

A sharp pain seared through Harry's forehead, in the region of his scar.

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.

"You alright?" Draco asked through a mouthful of toast, which had been artfully displayed in front of them.

"I'm fine." Harry said. When he looked back, the teacher with the turban was gone.

"Good morning, Draco." The first teacher handed Draco his timetable.

"Good morning Professor Snape." Draco replied, looking over his classes.

Harry made a mental note of the name.

"Ah, Mister Potter. Our new celebrity." Harry could hear the dislike in Snape's voice, but he didn't know why the teacher would dislike him yet.

"Good luck." Snape handed Harry his timetable as well.

The day went by faster than Harry expected. They hurried from class to class, chatting with the other Slytherin's and discovering what houses they'd be sharing classes with.

Harry had seen Ron in several, he had been sorted into Gryffindor with the rest of his brothers.

Harry attempted to be friendly, but Ron acted coldly towards him. Harry couldn't really blame him.

It wasn't until flying lessons near the end of the day that anything eventful happened.

Their first day was coming to an end, and most of the students were ready to retire and spend their last few hours whiling away in their common rooms. The sun was sinking lower on the horizon, and it painted the grounds with a lovely golden light.

Harry and Draco were two of the only people actually listening to what Madam Hooch, their instructor, was saying. Both were eager to become quidditch players after a lengthy discussion they had had earlier on, about the rules of the wizarding game.

Madam Hooch gave them several lectures on proper technique, then told them to practice lifting off and touching down.

Harry and Draco got board of this exercise quickly. They started competing, seeing who could fly highest without Hooch noticing.

"Wow, Harry, You're a natural!" Draco exclaimed after Harry had made a risky drop to avoid being caught.

"Yeah, better than you, I reckon." Harry joked. Malfoy laughed.

"Oh, yeah? I bet you can't catch this." Draco scooped a palm-sized rock off the ground, and threw it as far as he could.

Harry didn't hesitate to chase the stone as it soared through the afternoon air. He could hear Draco cheering as he caught up with the rock. He extended his fingers and brushed it as it soared out of his reach. But, Harry wasn't giving up yet. He angled his broom down and shot toward the ground at alarming speed. Mere feet before he would have collided with the earth, his fingers closed around the rock, and the pulled up from his dive.

Harry circled back to where the other Slytherins were watching and cheering him on, with a wide grin on his face. He landed and threw the rock back to Draco, who was staring at him, wide-eyed and awestruck.

"Bet I can." He said smoothly.

Harry turned and came face to face with one of the scariest things he had ever seen.

It was Madam Hooch, her face red and contorted with rage. He was expelled for sure.

Harry was dragged by the ear all the way into the school and down to the dungeon. Here, he was unceremoniously thrown into a dark office.

Professor Snape sat at his desk.

He didn't look particularly surprised that a child had been thrown into his room, besides a raised eyebrow and a glance in Madam Hooch's direction. Harry wondered if it was a common occurrence.

"PROFESSOR SNAPE!" Bellowed Madam Hooch. Harry winced.

"This student decided to go for a joyride during my flying class, during which, he did a death plunge to catch a rock that one of the other students threw!" Hooch's face only got redder as she shouted at Snape, who, surprisingly, stayed calm the entire time.

Snape was silent for a moment.

"Did he catch it?"

"Did he!" Harry didn't think that Madam Hooch could've gotten any angrier, until the question was posed.

"That's not the point Severus! He didn't follow directions! He risked the safety of his fellow students and himself!"

"I'll take care of it, Rolanda. You may go back to your class." Hooch looked as though she wanted to say more, but held her tongue and stormed away, muttering to herself.

Harry stood awkwardly in front of Snape's desk, waiting for him to 'take care of it'. But, Snape did nothing. He was so lost in thought that Harry assumed he must have forgotten that Harry was there.

"Um, professor?" Harry said in a small voice, too scared to speak louder.

"Potter, I'm afraid I have no choice but to do this. You have no idea how much it pains me."

Harry swallowed. He was expelled for sure.

Snape sighed.

"Welcome to the Slytherin quidditch team."

 **Hope you enjoyed! Give a review if you feel like it. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, Thanks to everyone who gave reviews! I will definately take your advice into account as I move forward with this story. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

"Youngest seeker in a century?" Draco asked with more than a bit of envy. Harry felt a bit bad about making the quidditch team. He knew how much Draco wanted it, and he was clearly better than Harry. He just hadn't had a chance to show it.

Harry nodded, hoping that Draco might change the subject.

"I actually can't believe that _Snape_ of all people, put you on the quidditch team."

"Well, he said something about a house cup, and wanting to spite McGonagall."

Draco nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Harry was"t sure he even wanted to be on the quidditch team. It seemed that there were too many expectations forced on him. He had to be the best seeker they'd ever had, he had to beat Gryffindor, he had to win them the house cup. He didn't consider himself to be very good at the sport. He considered his performance with the rock a fluke, sheer dumb luck. He'd never even played a real game of quidditch before. Not to mention, the whole debacle might be hurting Draco.

The boys had been making their way up to their first class of the day, charms. Harry found that so far, he liked charms. It was taught by a small wizard, called Professor Flitwick. Draco would make fun of the wizards height, often for the entire class. But, there weren't very many teachers that Draco didn't make fun of.

They pair only vaguely remembered how to get to the charms classroom, as they had only been there once before. They followed long hallways, some of which seemed familiar, others not at all. One or twice they asked unfamiliar portraits for directions, but none of them were very helpful. They went up staircases, which never seemed to lead to the same place that they had before. They would have to have a short debates about which of two paths they should take. Draco usually won.

Unfortunately, they must have chosen wrong at some point, as they soon found themselves in a most peculiar part of the castle.

"I've never been here before." Said Draco, eyeing the old torches hanging from the walls. "Ugh, this castle is so confusing!"

Harry laughed at the other boys frustration, although he too was beginning to feel quite frustrated. "I sort of feel as though we aren't supposed to be here." He said, noting how the castles normal whimsy had been replaced with flat out creepy.

Draco's eyes widened in realization as he looked at Harry. He then squeezed them shut and counted on his fingers. One, two, three. His eyes shot back open. "Harry! This is the third floor!"

The third floor. Harry just barely remember something being mentioned about the third floor. It was at the start of term feast, before they had even eaten. There were two forbidden areas on the grounds that they were not to enter. The forest, and the third floor. Harry look back at Draco, who seemed slightly paler than normal. "So, we're not supposed to be here?"

"No! It's forbidden!" Harry had never seen Draco looked this panicked before. He kind of thought it was funny.

"You want to go back?" Harry said with a sly grin. "Go ahead, I'm gonna go check it out."

Draco stuttered for a second. He was usually the calm and collected one. He regained his composure, and followed Harry.

The pair carefully made their way along the old corridor, keeping quiet so as to not get caught. There was an eerie lack of furnishings, most places in the castle had some sort of decoration. Here, the walls were blank, and it felt a few degrees colder than it had before.

The hall ended in a large wooden door, which was, to the relief of both the boys, locked.

"Oh, well." Harry said. He would never tell Draco, but the chipped, rotting wood made him even more nervous than the prospect of playing his first quidditch match.

"Do you , want to go in there, Harry?"

"I- Yes, I do." Harry lied, not wanting to seem scared in front of the other boy. He barely knew Draco yet, but his first impression was that Draco was not one for weak people.

Draco sighed and pulled out his wand. He tapped it on the lock and whispered: "Alohamora." There was a faint click.

"How did you do that?" They hadn't learned any spells yet. Not even the most basic. Though Harry realized a moment after he'd said it, that Draco had been raised in a magical household. Surely he knew some things that Harry didn't.

"Ugh, its a simple spell, Harry. Try picking up a book sometime."

Together, they slowly pulled the door open and peered inside.

Then slammed it shut and relocked it as fast as they could. Harry was pretty sure his heart had stopped for a moment. Draco simply started giggling very nervously.

They had momentarily come face to face with a monstrous, three-headed dog.

Harry looked over at Draco, who was still giggling. He looked even paler than he had before. Harry's instinct in that moment was to run away. He wanted to get as far away from that beast as possible and never think about it again. But, another part of him wanted to investigate.

"Let's go?" Draco said, being the voice of reason.

"Yup."

 **Thanks for reading :) I'll update as soon as I can.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A nice long chapter. I'm hoping to make the rest this length or more. Thanks for all the reviews, hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The characters, setting, and majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

Days passed, and neither Harry nor Draco mentioned the dog or the third floor again. Their silence said more than words could've. Their excursion to the third floor needed to be kept completely quiet.

They were starting to become busy with schoolwork and Harry had to attend quidditch practices to prepare for the upcoming match against Gryffindor. The practice was making him feel better, as he slowly felt himself grow stronger as a player. He still wasn't sure how Draco felt about it, and did his best to avoid the subject at all cost.

It was a Saturday morning that Harry received his very first piece of owl post.

Harry and Draco had decided to sleep in and attend breakfast around noon, by which time, they realized, lunch was already being served. The great hall was practically empty. Most of the students were milling about the grounds, enjoying the last few warm days of the year, or else studying hard for all their new classes.

Harry and Draco chatted about the week, classes and the other Slytherins that they had encountered. Harry was beginning to know everyone by name, and Draco was doing his best to help Harry remember. There was Crabbe and Goyle, the two hulking boys that had been with Draco their first day at Hogwarts, Pansy, the girl with the high pitched laugh, and Blaise, the rather intelligent boy. There was also the smaller one, that roomed with Blaise, a couple more girls as well, but Harry didn't have a good memory for names.

As they talked, a lone, snowy owl soared in through a window at the top of the great hall, and swooped down in front of Harry. It was Hedwig, the owl that Hagrid had bought him for his birthday. She was a spirited girl, she showed more emotion than some of the people that Harry had met. This was the first time Harry had ever received a letter from the owl, but he trusted that she would lead him through how it all worked.

She affectionately nipped Harry's finger and then held out her leg, which had a small roll of parchment tied to it in old twine.

"Thank you, Hedwig." Harry said. She pecked at what was left of his sandwich, so he removed the meat and fed that to her. After she was finished she stretched her blindingly bright wings and flew back the way she'd came.

Harry unrolled the parchment, to find only a few words written in a messy scrawl.

Dear Harry,

Sorry I have been so bisy lately.

Maybe you wood like to come share a cup of tee later this afternoon. Bring hooever you like.

Hagrid.

Harry smiled at the note. He had been wanting to see Hagrid, but hadn't been sure how to go about it. He remembered the poor spelling that had been on his birthday cake, the first day he met Hagrid. At the time, he hadn't imagined the extent of the mans illiteracy.

"Hagrid? Whys that oaf sending you letters?" Malfoy asked, peering over Harry's shoulder.

"Hagrid's my friend." Harry said defiantly. "I was going to ask you to come to tea, but if you're just going to be rude, forget it."

"Like I'd even want to come." Malfoy huffed. Harry shrugged and went back to his now meatless food. He could stand Malfoy making fun of the teachers, and even the other classmates, but Hagrid really was his friend. He would defend him at all costs.

That evening Harry made his way, alone, through the castle, and down towards Hagrid's hut. It felt strange to not have Draco by his side. The two boys had so far been inseparable, and were rarely out of one another sight. Harry tried not to feel hurt by Draco's refusal to come. It was simply his snobbish nature, and didn't have to do with Harry. Harry could only hope he was right.

The hut stood at the edge of the grounds, just before the forbidden forest. The large trees loomed in the distance. Harry wondered what might be hiding in their dark depths. The thought made him shiver. The hut looked like a small safe house. A checkpoint, where one might rest before beginning a journey into that light-less abyss.

Harry had hardly taken ten steps away from the castle, when Draco shot out the door like a bullet.

"Harry," he said, panting for breath. He regained his composure and turned to his friend. "I changed my mind. I'm coming with you."

"Really?" Harry couldn't fathom what might have caused this change of heart, but he was glad that it had happened, none the less. He had felt incomplete without the blondes presence.

"Alright, but you have to promise to behave." Harry said sternly. Despite how happy he was to see him, Harry wasn't going to let Draco be crude like he usually was.

Draco brushed him off. "Yeah, yeah. I won't make fun of your blithering fool of a friend."

"I mean it Draco. One jab at him and we'll leave."

"You're not my mum." Draco snapped.

"I am right now. C'mon."

Together they strode the winding path down to the hut, each of them giving occasional worried glances at the forest.

"What do you thinks in there?" Draco whispered.

"How should I know? And why are you whispering?"

Draco shrugged. "Why not?" He whispered.

Hagrid was overjoyed to see them. He scooped Harry into a bone crushing hug, and then did the same to Draco, who grit his teeth, but didn't say anything.

The hut was dimly lit and small. There was hardly enough room for Hagrid's small dining room table to fit beside his oversized bed. The fact that the house was also cluttered beyond belief didn't help, as random sacks full who-knows-what and boxes with bizarre content filled the majority of the empty spaces.

Harry and Draco had to squeeze through a small pathway to get to a rickety bench that Hagrid had set up against a wall.

A small fireplace blazed with flames, over which, Hagrid was boiling their tea.

Once the tea was finished, Harry and Hagrid drank and talked about everything that had happened so far at school. Mostly about Harry being sorted into Slytherin. Hagrid was gaining a new perspective on the 'evil' house, and Harry was glad. He had been afraid Hagrid wouldn't like him now that he was in Slytherin.

Draco had remained silent for the majority of the visit, often staring into his untouched cup of tea as though it held the answers to the universe, but he couldn't figure out how to release them from their tea cup confinement.

"Hagrid," Draco started, startling the groundskeeper as well as his friend. "You work with magical creatures, right?"

It was no secret that Hagrid had a knack for mythical beasts. He was often seen trudging off into the forest to help some poor creature in need. Although, most of what they knew about this particular hobby of Hagrid's was from rumor, and thus, couldn't be trusted.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Hagrid stated proudly, puffing up his chest.

Draco looked deep in thought for a moment, contemplating whether or no he should move forward with the conversation. "Is there a proper name for a giant, three-headed dog?"

Hagrid frowned and looked back and forth between Harry and Draco. "You two haven't been snooping around the third floor have you?" He said sternly, making Draco wince.

The boys looked at each other, then back to Hagrid. "No?" Harry offered.

Hagrid sighed, suddenly he looked much older, and more like a father who had just found out that his only son had dropped out of secondary school to live on his couch and eat cheese crackers all day. "I don't know why you've been snooping around Fluffy, but I got to tell you, don't ever go back there. It's dangerous."

"Fluffy?!" Draco interjected. "That _thing_ is named Fluffy?"

"Well, yeah. What would you've called him?"

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, so Harry and Draco bade Hagrid goodbye, and began their trek back up to the castle. On their way, they ran into a small group of Gryffindor boys, including Ron Weasley.

"Hey, Potty!" One sneered, sticking his tongue out. Harry frowned, he didn't realize that he had made this many enemies.

"What are you doing out so late, Scarhead?" Ron drawled.

"What's it to you, Weasley?" Draco spat. Ron narrowed his eyes at the pair.

Harry, anticipating a fight, pulled Draco by the hem of his sleeve back up to the castle, followed by the jeers of the Gryffindors.

"We could've taken those guys." Draco said. Harry saw a new passion in his eyes, bred of pure hatred.

"It's okay, Draco. They're just giving in to the war." The war between the houses was famous, and excruciatingly unfair. It was essentially the Slytherins, pitted against everyone else. Harry had already begun to feel the prejudice, despite how short of a time he had been attending the school. Slytherins were bad, Gryffindors were good, everyone else had to pick a side.

"Why can't we? I wanna fight for our name. We're proud Slytherins, right?"

The two were nearing the Slytherin dungeon, and Harry could concentrate on little but the thought of his soft, plushy bed. He could almost already hear the waves that would rock him to sleep.

"We can fight them in the morning."

 **Thanks for reading! I'm going to be away for the weekend, so don't expect a new chapter until after that. I'll do my best to update when I get back :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry it's been so long guys, I have been so busy lately. I'm not going to promise anything, but hopefully the next chapter will be faster. Quick shout out to daithi4377 for being really crazy supportive and sweet, even though I'm really amateur at this and all. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All of the characters, settings, and majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

October came and went before Harry knew it. Him and Draco got by without much trouble from the Gryffindor boys, although when there was trouble, it was usually Draco that started it. He really did want to fight, but Harry didn't want Hogwarts to become just like the Dursley's, so he tried to stay out of the way. He had gotten in enough fights for one lifetime.

On October 31st, just as the light was fading from the grounds, and people were beginning to gather near the great hall in anticipation of food, Harry and Draco were lounged across the latter's bed, trying to decide whether or not to attend the Halloween feast.

"We could just go nick the exact same food from the kitchen." Draco said, not sounding like he wanted to leave their nest of blankets, let alone walk all the way to the kitchen.

Harry really didn't feel like attending the feast. He would've much preferred to spend the day in their room with the only real friend Harry had made in the last two months. That was just his problem, though. He only had the one friend, and he figured if he ever wanted more, he would need to attend more social gatherings, such as this one.

Harry was reluctant to voice such concerns to Draco, since the other boy didn't seem to be particularly interested in having any friends besides Harry. Harry was flattered, but also beginning to feel a tad awkward, as though he was keeping Draco from his potential as a social butterfly.

In the end, the pair decided to remain where they were, Draco's bed being too soft and warm to resist. Instead of getting food like they had intended, they somehow found themselves snuggled under thick green covers, dozing in the cool afternoon.

Afternoon quickly faded into evening, and neither of the boys arose from their slumber. Their combined body heat battled the unyielding cold, and their bed was as plushy and comfortable as ever.

They were eventually awoken by a loud noise from outside the common room. It sounded like a wall had been smashed in, but Harry was too sleepy to figure out if that's really what the noise was.

The boys hurried out of bed as quickly as possible, the sudden cold making their sleep intoxicated bodies shiver. They carefully hurried out of the common room to find the source of the commotion.

What they found was a giant troll. It was easily three times as tall as either of them, probably more. It had grey, lumpy skin, and wore nothing but a moldy old skirt sewn from some poor animals hide. It didn't look very bright, and it kept swaying on it's feet like it was drunk.

Draco had thought to bring his wand, but Harry was wandless, defenseless, and terrified.

Draco raised his wand at the troll, but remained too shocked to utter any sort of spell.

It took the troll several minutes to actually notice the two small boys, but as soon as it did, it was prepared to kill them.

The pair dodged a couple of blows from it's large wooden club, and scurried to a safer distance. Their hearts were racing, and Harry could've sworn he saw a tear roll down Draco's face.

They were doomed. They knew it. Draco clutched Harry, and Harry clutched him back, not knowing what he could do to save their lives.

As the troll raised it's club to strike a final, deadly blow, the boys heard a shout from down the corridor.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

The ugly beast seized up and wobbled slightly on the spot, before falling backwards with a loud thump.

At the end of the corridor, a first year girl, who Harry remembered as Daphne, had her wand raised, while Pansy cheered and gave her a high-five.

The girls then rushed over, being careful no to step on the troll, to see if Harry and Draco were alright. They were soon followed by all the rest of the Slytherin first years, who were shouting things that Harry couldn't quite make out.

During all the excitement, Harry had been to two fear-ridden and full of adrenaline to feel tired. But now, it all came rushing back and he wanted nothing more but lay down on the cold stone floor and sleep.

To his dismay, the Slytherins helped Harry to his feet, but he in turn helped Draco. He would have to suck it up until he could sneak off to his room for some rest.

"That was brilliant, Daphne!" Said a small boy, giving Daphne another high-five.

She smiled, a little shyly. "It was nothing, really."

"Nothing?!" Exclaimed Blaise, from where he was brushing dust off Draco's robes. "That was incredible! How'd you even learn to do that?"

She only shrugged.

All the first years, save for Draco of course, quickly reintroduced themselves to Harry. There was Crabbe and Goyle, the large boys from Harry's first day, Blaise Zabini, who roomed with Theodore Nott, Pansy and Daphne, who didn't really need to introduce themselves but did anyway, as well as Millicent Bullstrode, and Tracey Davis.

Harry figured he could remember all that. Just as they were finishing up with introductions, McGonagall, quickly followed by the rest of the teachers, came running down the corridor.

She gasped at the sight of the fallen troll, then turned sharply to the Slytherins, awaiting an explanation.

They each shared a number of glances before Blaise said "Daphne Body-Binded it."

The teachers looked to Daphne, who trembled and opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Snape, who had just joined the party, pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

"My students have done nothing wrong." He said, eyeing the troll. "Besides, it is my choice of whether or not they are punished."

McGonagall glared at him, but turned on her heel and left as quickly as she'd came, her robe billowing behind her.

Snape gave Harry a small, sour look, before addressing the whole group. "It seems you all fought bravely, today." He started in his usual monotone. "So you shall each be awarded five house points."

Snape and the rest of the teachers began to work on cleaning up the troll, while the Slytherins headed back to the common room.

"Five, each!" Blaise was rambling. "How many of us are there?" He counted on his fingers. One, two, three, four, all the way to ten. "Ten!" He exclaimed. "That's fifty points!"

Harry felt the same euphoria as everyone else, but something had been troubling him. All the while Snape was talking, Harry had been staring at his leg. A large, red, bite mark circled the man's calf, and dripped blood down his shin. The bite looked like it had been administered by something giant.

Something like a giant dog.

 **Sorry it was kinda short. Leave me a review if you feel like it. I'll try and be faster with the next chapter :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello! It has been a while hasn't it? Sorry this chapter took so long, but I have been very busy lately with school-stuff and work-stuff. Sorry if this chapter is a little all over the place, I wrote it over a couple of days. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All characters, settings, and the majority of the plot belong to JK Rowling.**

That night, the common room was alive with the celebrations of the first-years. It was their first big accomplishment, and for once, the normally distant, invisible kids felt invincible. They toasted to Daphne, the one who had defeated the troll, practically single-handedly. Together they drank butterbeer and played games of wizards chess, in which the goal was to cheat more stealthily than your opponent. Harry was quite good at it, but he was no match for Draco, who could win a game blindfolded. It was easily the best night Harry had had at the castle. For once, he truly felt like part of a family.

Weeks whizzed by in a flash with everything at was going on at Hogwarts. All of a sudden the first years had what seemed like mountains of homework to do, almost every night, and they could say goodbye to relaxing on the weekends. Not to mention that Marcus Flint, the Slytherin quidditch captain had decided to start doing longer, more frequent quidditch practices in preparation for their upcoming match against Slytherin. Harry was finding it more and more difficult to avoid the subject around Draco.

"You excited for the match, Potter?" Blaise asked on the day of the game, as he, Harry and Draco made their way down to the quidditch pitch. The weather was splendid for a day of quidditch. The sun was bathing the grounds in a warm glow, while a crisp autumn breeze blew across the pitch. The leaves on all the forest flora were beginning t shift from vibrant greens, to mesmerizing reds and oranges. Harry figured he would convince Draco to come study with him underneath the old oak down by the lake after the game. They could complete their homework, whilst relaxing and watching the giant squid. If he survived, that was.

"He's nervous." Draco interjected with a smile. "He thinks he's going to fall of his broom." He chuckled, cruelly.

Harry had actually felt sick all morning. Like he would vomit, or pass out. He knew it was all in his head, but that didn't make his symptoms any better. He didn't think he was in any shape to compete, but Marcus had been very clear that he was not to miss the match, or else. Or else what, he hadn't been so clear about.

Everything that could possibly go wrong ran through the boy's mind. He _could_ fall off his broom, or fly into the stadium, or accidentally somehow ensure that Slytherin lost. Marcus was very insistent that they had to win this game, and he wasn't someone whose bad side Harry would want to get on. He wished he hadn't been stupid during that flying class. He wished he hadn't chased that rock. Most of all, he wished it had been Draco that got on the quidditch team.

"Here we are, Harry." Blaise said as they stopped outside the Slytherin change room. A few people had started gathering in he stands, but most were still at breakfast. "C'mon Draco, I want good seats."

The breeze blew through Harry's unkempt hair. He didn't want to part from his friends yet. As though he had read Harry's mind, Draco spoke up.

"Go on ahead." Draco said. "I need a word with Potter." Blaise shrugged and hurried off towards the stands.

Harry was afraid he was finally going to get Draco's wrath. His pure unadulterated hatred at Harry for having gotten to be on this team and not him. Harry was half prepared to offer Draco his spot in today's match. Draco was easily more skilled, and could handle stress far better than Harry could.

Draco looked around awkwardly before addressing Harry. "Look, you seem really nervous." Draco said quietly, taking Harry's hand in his own. "How do you feel?" The butterflies that Harry had been suppressing suddenly burst forth, and he felt like he might be sick. He clutched Draco's hand harder, willing himself not to vomit on his friends expensive shoes.

"I can't do this, Draco." Harry choked. "I'm scared." He felt a tear form in his eye and trail down his cheek. Draco wiped it off with his free hand.

"Hey," Draco said, giving Harry an encouraging smile. "You _can_ do this. You wouldn't be on this team if you weren't capable of this much. Just think, one day, this will seem like a piece of cake." Draco pulled Harry into a warm embrace, and whispered in his ear. "Good luck. I believe in you."

Harry held back a flood of tears. If he dissolved now, it would be obvious to everyone on the team he had been crying. He couldn't look weak in front of his teammates. Not today.

Draco pulled away and gave Harry one last encouraging look, then disappeared towards the stands. Harry burned that face into his memory. Something to remember when everything went horribly wrong, as it inevitably would.

Harry wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and composed himself. He needed to calm down. All this anxiety was going to mess with performance, and make today harder than it needed to be. He took one last deep breath, then slipped into the change room.

As he entered a hush fell over the room. It was obvious that they had been talking about him, but if it was positive or negative, Harry couldn't tell. Knowing this crowd, it was probably negative. All the pep-talks and encouragement he had been given quickly faded as he saw the dark looks on his teammates faces.

Harry kept his head down and dressed, careful not to finish first, or last, so as not to draw extra attention to himself. As he was pulling on his boots, he couldn't help but overhear a snippet of conversation between Marcus, and a chaser named Terence.

"All I'm saying," Marcus whispered. "is there's no way that that shrimp," He glanced at Harry, who hurriedly focused on typing his laces. "could defeat someone as powerful as the dark lord. Especially not as a baby."

Harry had no idea what they were talking about, but one thing stuck out in his mind. Shrimp. Now Harry's suspicions had been confirmed. The conversation had been negative. He felt any small, remaining glimpse of hope fade from his mind. He was doomed. He would fail his team, and all of Slytherin, and they already suspected it of him. He might as well drop out now.

Just as Harry was thinking about exactly how to break the news that he couldn't play, Marcus stood up on the bench in the middle of the room. He must've been preparing for some sort of speech, Harry thought. Something motivational, that would lift even Harry's sad spirits and lead them to victory.

"Don't lose."

The tears that Harry had held back were once again threatening to surface. He blinked a few times and choked back a sob. He needed to be strong. He needed to prove his worth to his teammates. He needed them to know that he wasn't some worthless shrimp, but instead, the only thing standing between them, and certain failure.

Outside a whistle blew. That was their cue. The team filed onto the pitch, with Harry in the very back.

They got into formation, facing the Gryffindor team. Harry ignored everyone but a particular curly brown-haired boy at the back. He was a bit bigger than Harry, probably in year two or three, but still slim and agile. Harry needed to be faster than that seeker to win the game. That was his only goal, Marcus had said. Don't pay any attention to the rest of the game, just find the golden snitch.

A second whistle was blown, and the balls were released. Harry watched the snitch fly away and out of view, but he made a mental note of which way it had gone. When the two teams launched into the air, Harry made a beeline in that direction.

He circled around that side of the pitch, looking for any glimpse of gold below him. He also occasionally glanced at the brunette boy to make sure that he hadn't spotted it before Harry.

After a couple minutes, Harry decided that the snitch easily could've moved on, so he flew higher, and circled the whole pitch. From up here, the ground looked very far away. A fall from this height could easily mean his death. He supposed he simply wouldn't fall.

The commentary was like white noise in Harry's ears. He didn't have enough effort to concentrate on it, and finding the snitch, so he let it fade into the background of his mind. He knew that people must be scoring, because the crowd kept erupting into mingled cheers and shouts of encouragement. Harry had no idea who was winning.

As he was doing another circle around the pitch (he had lost count of how many he had already completed), he felt his broom shake, as though it was trying to throw him off. It only occurred for a second, Harry almost thought that he'd imagined it. Until it happened again. He held on tight to avoid being tossed to the ground like a rag doll, and tried to fly lower. He managed to drop several metres, but found that he no longer had control over his broom. It's dance was getting faster and more frantic, and Harry wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on.

Meanwhile, in the stadium, Draco was freaking out. His composure was somewhere in between 'I need to keep my cool so people don't think less of me' and 'Oh sod it all, my best friend is going to die!'. He was on the edge of his seat, biting his lip as he watched Harry being bucked around by his rouge broom. Wasn't anyone going to do anything?

Draco took a deep breath, and chose 'Sod it all'. He bolted from seat, across the stands and down the stairs. He figured he was going to get in trouble for this, but he did it anyway.

"Harry!" He yelled as he ran across the pitch. Everyone was still playing, oblivious to their seekers strife.

Harry was now dangling from his broom, which was still trying to throw him off. He was exhausted and his hands were starting to get sore. He figured that this was the end, he had let his teammates down. With one final jerk, he was thrown off his broom.

Across the pitch, Cormac McLaggen had spotted the snitch, hovering feet below where Harry Potter was making his deadly descent.

Harry didn't really have anything on his mind. He didn't feel afraid, or angry, or sad. He had sort of gone numb. He couldn't process what was happening. Part of him thought that he might hit the ground and be fine, that he could get up and continue playing. Harry closed his eyes, just as a hand caught his wrist.

It was the Gryffindor seeker. He slowed Harry's decent as best he could. When they were only a few metres off the ground, the boy dropped Harry, into Draco's outstretched arms. The pair toppled over, but neither was injured.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah, me, too." They sorted themselves out, and Draco helped Harry to his feet.

Harry felt something tickling his stomach, and he giggled for a second before pulling the golden snitch out from underneath his shirt. He stared at it amazement for a moment, not sure how it had got there. He then turned to the Gryffindor seeker, and held the golden ball out.

"Take it." Harry said. "You deserve it."

The seeker shrugged. It was a sad sort of gesture, as though he really did want to take Harry up on the offer. "That's not how it works." He said, then flew off towards the other Gryffindors.

"Harry!" Draco exclaimed. "We won!" A swarm of Slytherins flooded onto the pitch. They hoisted Harry into the air, cheering all the while. Harry couldn't stop beaming. He felt alive and wonderful. He really had proven himself to the Slytherins, even if it had been a total fluke.

There would be a party in the common room tonight.

 **Thanks for reading! I know I'm not very good with writing quidditch stuff, so if anyone has any pointers I would love to hear them. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long :)**


	10. Authors Note

**Hey guys, sorry that there haven't been any updates recently. My computer is broken, do there probably won't be any new content for a while, but I am working on a new chapter. Thanks for understanding :)**

 **-songbird**


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